downfall — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A precipitous decline in fortune; death or rapid deterioration, as in status or wealth.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   falldoom

   Examples

   Many economic and political reasons led to the downfall of the Roman Empire.

   More examples (1)

   The Black Cats contributed to their own downfall for the only goal when Titus Bramble, making his first appearance since Boxing Day, and Michael Turner, let Phil Jones' cross bounce across the six-yard box as [Wayne] Rooney tucked in at the back post.

2. The cause of such a fall; a critical blow or error.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   Orson Scott Card It is the downfall of evil, that it never sees far enough ahead.

3. An act of falling down.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   a downfall of rain

   More examples (1)

   [T]he prominent character of leading young lady or heroine, which Paula was to personate, was really the most satisfactory in the whole list for her. For although she was to be wooed hard, there was just as much love-making among the remaining personages; while, as Somerset had understood the play, there could occur no flingings of her person upon her lover's neck, or agonized downfalls upon the stage, in her whole performance, [...]

Verb

1. To fall down; deteriorate; decline.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   [...] wants to make civilization his subject, he will have a hard time proceeding with the sentence unless collapse is in his active vocabulary, for he cannot say "our civilization will downfall" or "fall down."

   Common belief has been that in the future the number of middle managers will downfall due to empowerment and team-building.

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   It should be noted that the magnitude of satellites decreases when tuning out of degeneracy, and in the wavelength range of 1.2-1.3 pm it downfalls to the value of 10-15% of the main spike magnitude.

   [...] As goodly air as ever From lunar orb downfell— Be it by hazard, Or supervened it by arrogancy?

Noun

1. failure that results in a loss of position or reputation

   Synonyms

   ruinruination

   Broader terms

   failure

2. the falling to earth of any form of water (rain or snow or hail or sleet or mist)

   Synonyms

   precipitation

   Broader terms

   weatherweather conditionconditionsatmospheric condition

3. a sudden decline in strength or number or importance

   Synonyms

   fall

   Broader terms

   weakening

   Examples

   the fall of the House of Hapsburg